Hurricane Emily (1993)

Infobox Hurricane
Name=Hurricane Emily
Image location=Hurricane Emily 31 aug 1993 2059Z.jpg


Type=hurricane
Year=1993
Basin=Atl
Formed=August 22, 1993
Dissipated=September 6, 1993
1-min winds=100
Pressure=960
Da

Inflated=0
Fatalities=3 direct
Areas=Outer Banks, North Carolina
Hurricane season=1993 Atlantic hurricane season

Hurricane Emily was a Category 3 hurricane during the 1993 Atlantic hurricane season. On September 1, the storm brushed the Outer Banks of North Carolina before heading back out to sea. Despite coming within miles of North Carolina as a major hurricane, the storm caused only three deaths and $50 million (2004 US dollars) in damages.

Meteorological history

A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on August 17, and moved quickly west-northwestward. It organized into Tropical Depression Five on August 22 while convert|800|mi|km east-northeast of Puerto Rico. After moving quickly to the northwest, higher pressures to its north caused it to stall over the central Atlantic Ocean. With favorable conditions aloft and warm water temperatures, the depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Emily on August 25 as it drifted to the west-southwest, and briefly attained hurricane status the next day.

Emily dropped to tropical storm strength due to a slight increase in vertical shear, but again attained hurricane intensity late on August 27. A break in the subtropical ridge caused the hurricane to turn to the northwest, during which Emily fluctuated in strength between convert|75|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on and convert|85|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on. As it approached the North Carolina coastline, Hurricane Emily rapidly intensified to a convert|115|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on major hurricane over very warm water temperatures, shortly before turning to the north in response to a mid-latitude trough. Land was not spared entirely, and the western portion of Emily's convert|115|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on eyewall passed over the Outer Banks on September 1. The hurricane accelerated to the east-northeast, and steadily weakened over the north Atlantic Ocean due to increased vertical shear. It turned to the south on the 3rd, and quickly weakened to a tropical depression by the next day. The depression again turned to the northeast and became extratropical on September 6. [ [http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/prelim/Emily_prelim.html NOAA: Hurricane Emily Preliminary Report] ]

Impact

Because Hurricane Emily did not make landfall, North Carolina and Virginia avoided substantial damage. Had Hurricane Emily continued its forward track, it would have caused much greater damage, possibly comparable to that of Hurricane Isabel ten years later. Though its damage was minor, rough seas and wind caused three fatalities, all from drowning.

North Carolina

In Cape Hatteras, Emily damaged 553 homes beyond repair from its near-direct hit and strong winds. In addition, officials cut power to Hatteras Island fearing that downed power lines could start a fire. The area most affected by Hurricane Emily was Buxton, North Carolina, where a convert|10.2|ft|m|sing=on storm surge and a maximum of convert|7.5|in|mm of rain occurred. On Highway 12, there were reports of sinkholes caused by heavy rains, some of which swallowed up three four-wheel-drive vehicles. Because Emily hit during Labor Day weekend, the tourism industry suffered after Emily, losing $10 million when 160,000 were evacuated from northeastern North Carolina. [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/hurricane/archives/emily93.htm Washington Post: Hurricane Climbs N.C. Coast to Virginia] ] Storm surge and flooding left 25% of the population of Cape Hatteras homeless, causing Dare County to issue a federal disaster declaration. [ [http://www.csc.noaa.gov/products/nchaz/htm/emily.htm NOAA: North Carolina hurricanes: Hurricane Emily] ] Emily's high winds uprooted trees, downed power lines, tore off roofs, and, combined with its heavy flooding, caused $35 million (1993 US dollars) in damage, a lesser total than expected. In addition, Emily's limited effects only caused two deaths in North Carolina when two swimmers in Nags Head drowned.

Virginia

In Newport News, lightning from Emily set a roof on fire in the Lee Hall section of the city while 5,000 residents were left without power. The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel also lost power because of the storm. Emily's light rains in the area were not enough to break a prolonged drought that hampered Virginia. [http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB4E833EB96CC10&p_docnum=42&p_queryname=4&p_product=NPNB&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=L4FD4FNCMTEzNDQwNDc1OS42NDYxNDI6MToxNDoxNjQuMTA2LjIwMS41MA] Heavy surf resulted in one person drowning on the coast of Virginia in the days prior to the hurricane's arrival. In addition, a storm surge of convert|1.2|ft|m was reported at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

Mid-Atlantic and New England

Due to uncertainty of when and if Emily would make its northeast turn, thousands were evacuated from Virginia through New York, including 750 in Virginia, 100,000 in Maryland, 1000 in Delaware, and 20,000 from Fire Island, New York. The hurricane remained far enough from these locations to cause little, if any damage. In Ocean City, Maryland, 2.8 inches of rain were reported, while Sussex County Airport reported only .01 inches of precipitation.

Lack of retirement

The name Emily was not retired after 1993, so it was re-used in 1999 and again in 2005, and is on the list of names for the 2011 season.

See also

* List of tropical cyclones
* List of Atlantic hurricanes

External links

* [http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/prelim/Emily_prelim.html Hurricane Emily 1993 report]
* [http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/tropical/rain/emily1993.html Hurricane Emily 1993 ]
* [http://ks.water.usgs.gov/Kansas/pubs/reports/wsp.2499.sumnc0893.html Hurricane Emily (USGS)]
* [http://www.geology.enr.state.nc.us/Geologic_hazards_cost/costs.htm#Storm Hurricane Emily 1993 hazard costs]
* [http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_docid=0EB4E833CF946DE7&p_docnum=31&p_queryname=4&p_product=NPNB&p_theme=aggregated4&p_nbid=L4FD4FNCMTEzNDQwNDc1OS42NDYxNDI6MToxNDoxNjQuMTA2LjIwMS41MA Daily Press Hurricane Emily 1993]

Notes